Empowered Women- Empowered Communities

The word “Behbud” translates as “advancement” and it is a name that stands for support and strength for women. Behbud’s work began with rehabilitation of the 1965 war victims in conjunction with a small industrial home and dispensary. Behbud is a pioneer amongst Pakistani nonprofits, and has almost 50 years of experience in poverty alleviation efforts.

The Behbud Boutique is one channel where the women are able to sell the crafts they produce both as home-based workers and at the industrial home. A need was felt to rebrand the Behbud Boutique to reflect its identity as a haven for women empowerment and its mission of preserving the traditional crafts of Pakistan. Visiting the industrial home is always a personal pleasure- the sunny disposition of the women and the beautiful crafts they produce are always a joy to behold. The new branding is meant to reflect this character.

Tools
Illustrator
Photoshop

Art Direction & Design
Shehzil Malik

Strategy
Tamkeen Nadeem

Client
Behbud

In terms of user persona, the Behbud woman is a sophisticated woman in her 40s. She is well-travelled and takes pride in her appearance. Her time is spent working at a local non-profit, organising private parties for her friends, and looking after her beautifully designed house.

She knows her foreign friends appreciate her uniquely Eastern aesthetic, and she often incorporates her high-end designer wear wing traditional Pakistani clothing. She also cares about giving back to the community and likes to know the story about where her clothing and accessories come from . This is also why she is willing to pay premium price for her beautifully made traditional clothing that reflects her own good taste and attention to detail.

For rebranding the boutique, the challenge is to capture the brand values of being exquisite, traditional and handcrafted visually though the logo, packaging and the story we tell on all touch-points.

We were asked to revitalise the Behbud boutique- the outlet for selling the crafts created by their women artisans. We decided to rebrand the boutique to capture the beauty and sophistication of the clothes produced, and create an online store so that Behbud’s crafts could reach a wider audience.

Behbud also makes sure to use only traditional Pakistani crafts and find new hybrids to innovate in fashion. These crafts include Ralli appliqué, Kaanta embroidery, cutwork and cross stitch. The Behbud Boutique in Islamabad is currently the only displayed sale outlet of the items made by the artisans. It is truly a treasure trove of latest fashions with a uniquely Pakistani identity.

Since the launch of the e-store, Behbud’s staff has been trained to manage both their online store and social media accounts. Sales have steadily increased and now contribute a significant amount to Behbud’s monthly income. The women artisans how know that there is a demand for their beautiful products, both locally and overseas.
 
You can find the store at www.behbudcrafts.com